This coffee was produced by Julio Palli Mamani and Lupe Medina (both pictured above) in Copacabana, a small and remote settlement located 180 kilometres from La Paz in the heart of the Caranavi province. This region is the epicentre for specialty coffee production in Bolivia, with incredibly high elevations, rich soil, and wide daily temperature ranges providing the perfect conditions for exceptional coffee.

Julio and Lupe have a five-hectare farm called San Bartolomé, which is named after Julio’s father. Julio has lived in the region since 1978. Back then, there was no electricity or running water in the region and delivering coffee into town was perilous. The couple first met in Caranavi, when Lupe left her hometown of Chulumani to work in the region. Eventually, Julio inherited the land from his father and together the couple have farmed the land for around 25 years.

Along with their team of seasonal workers, Julio carefully hand-picked this coffee and delivered with Lupe it to the Buena Vista washing station via taxi. This meticulously run washing station processes each of the exceptional specialty lots they receive separately, allowing for full traceability back to the individual farmer.

The cherries are fermented in a sealed stainless steel tank for 72 hours. The team at Buena Vista made sure the lid remained shut for the full period of fermentation, to ensure no oxygen touched the cherries and that the punch-like, boozy aroma remained trapped inside. The wet parchment was then washed with fresh, clean water and carefully machine-dried for 102 hours using a ‘guardiola,’ a horizontal, rotating drum that gets rid of moisture by creating a warm, consistent flow of air around the coffee.